It wasn’t a typical Monday night class for dog owners and their pets at an animal-training center on French Island.
The Rising Starr company hosted a visit by 3rd District U.S. House Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien), showing his support for businesses owned by veterans.
Rising Starr owner Rick Pedersen spoke at the start of training, to put the pet owners at ease.
“I knew he was coming, but we kind of kept it secret,” Pederson told the owners of four dogs. “Pretend it’s a normal class as best you can.”
Van Orden recently met Pedersen and his wife at a celebration of the Marine Corps birthday, “and he told me about his business, training dogs here as a veteran, and I think it’s really important that we support our veteran-owned businesses.”
Van Orden weed that he has been a dog owner himself, but had never attended a class to see how training is done.
Van Orden called the visit an “awesome part” of his job. “And who doesn’t like puppies? I don’t know,” he said.
